James



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SWITCH.

No. 451,214. Patented Apr. 28,1891.

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SPEGIFIGATION formingpart oi Letters Batent No. 451,214, dated'. Apri128, 1891.

' Application filed October 4, 1890. Serial lio. 367,075. (No model.) Iv To all whom ifim'ay concern:

Be it known that 1, WASHINGTON JAMES TRACY, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at New Orleans, in the parish of Orleans and State ofLouisiana, have'invented certain new and useful Improvements in aSwitch; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in automatic railway-switches, andthe novelty will be fully understood from the following description andclaims when taken in con.- nection with the accompanying drawings, inwhich t Figure 1 is a top plan view of uiyimproved switch,parts beingillustrated in dotted lines.

Fig. 2 is a verticallongitudinal sectional view,

of the same, a car-wheel being illustrated in elevation. Fig. 3 is aplan view oi the point moving lever. Fig. 4c is a vertical transversesectional view of the point inoving mechanism, together with acar-wheel, taken in the plane indicated by dotted lines so a: on Fig. 2.

Referring by letter to the said drawings, A

indicates the track of a main line, and B a side track.

0 indicates a metal box or case, which may be of any approved form, uponwhich the tracks A and 13 rest and within which the point-actuatingmechanism is mounted.

D indicates a switclrpoint, which also rests upon the case 0 and isconnected thereto at one end by a pivot-bolt E, and upon this point D,at points indicated by F, I place metallic clasps or bands which connectthe said point D, and a Wooden or metallic bar 0, which rests upon a barM and is c nn cted to said bar and to the switch-point by vertical boltsE, as better illustrated in Fig. 2. The bar M is provided at one endwith a short.-.latera1v branch, which is shouldered on one side adjacentto its end, as shown, to take over the inner side of a block Ii, whichis inclined, as better shown in Fig. 4. The block Ii, which rests upon aspring, as 1, operates in conjunction with another block K, also havingan inclined side, which abuts against the in? clined side of the blockIT. This block K,

which is supportedby a platform or ledge, as

Q, extending from the side wall of the case,

is backed by spiral springs, as L, which are attached to the side wallof the case in any suitable manner, and may, if desirable, be attachedto the blocks. Attached to and extending up from the block H through thetop of the case 0 is a cam-shaped shoe G, which is placed. in the lineof travel of a flange upon a car-wheel, as shown. By this constructionand arrangement of parts it will be seen that when the ilange S of thewheel R engages the canrsliaped shoe the block 11 will be pressed down,and its inclined side, acting on the shoulder in the lateral branch ofthe point moving bar M, will shift said bar sidewisc, and consequentlythe switch-point connected thereto, as has been described. It will alsobe observed that as the block II is pressed down itsinclined side willact upon the inclined side of the block -5. and press the same to oneside, and when pressure is removed from the shoe 6- or block II theblock K, by reason of its springs L, will assist the block ll and theshoe ('iin returning to its normal position.

v I 1 N indicates transverse slots in the top of the caseU,ilttOrWlliChntllG connecting-bands F take when the point D is shifted.D

in the practice of my invention 1 do not desire to confine myself to theprecise detail construction described, as it is obvious that suchchanges or modifications may be made therein as fairly fall within thescope of my invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim is- 1. in a switch such asdescribed, the blocks H and K, resting within a box or case under themain line of a car-track and connected to said. box or case by means ofsprings and having inclined planes or faces abutting, and the shoe 6;,)IiGjGCtlilQflbOVG said box, in conr bination with a switch'tpuint D,resting on the top of the box G and between main line and block andextending above the case in the line of a car-wheel, inC(HlflJll'litiliOil with a lover or bar connected to a switch-point andhaving the lateral shouldered branch at its end, and the said switchpoint pivotally mounted upon the case and adapted to be operated by themechanism, substantially as described.

55. Ablock, such as H, mounted on a spring and avin sroro of its sidewalls inclined, and a cam projection or shoe connected to said block andextending up into the line of travel of a car-Wheel, in combination witha lover or bar connected to a pivoted switelnpoint and having a lateralshouldered branch at its end adapted to be engaged and operated by theinclined side of the block IT,snhstan tially as described, for thepurpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix mysignature in presence of two Witnesses.

\VASHINGTON J. TRACY. Witnesses:

1\IICHEL DEOoUnsnY, PERCY D. PARKS.

